In Another Life
by Mme. Raye
Summary: Three lives, three souls, one car, a lifetime of memories. Reformatted Ch. 4!
1. Prologue

Fuu had always been a good natured child, that is to say that she always shared her crayons, learned all her lessons, and most of all listened to her mother. When she reached the age of two, her mother moved to a new place far away from her father into a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of a decent sized town to raise your child in.

Immediately two mothers befriended the single mom and brought their boys by to play every Saturday, while the women did their women things inside. They let Fuu play with these boys, the four year old, Mugen, was rowdy and had plenty of attitude at a young age. The other boy, six and in school, was quiet, calm and called Jin. Fuu ran around the yard, chased by Mugen, and Jin would watch patiently and if Mugen ever pushed Fuu down, as he often did, he would run up to Fuu, help her up and push Mugen down with great forcce.

Fuu loved her tire swing in the backyard and Mugen sometimes pushed her while she sat on it. Jin would watch them like a hawk and if Mugen pushed her a little too hard (you could tell by the way she tightly clutch the tire and the smile would vanish) he would stomp up to Mugen, push him with all his might and push little Fuu on his own.

But before she could ever have a memory with them that she could keep for the rest of her life, Jin's house burned down while he was at school, killing his parents so he was sent to his uncle, and Mugen moved to the inner city two states away. Both would have vague memories of a little girl always in fuscia, their earliest memory from two very short childhoods.

* * *

**A/N:** This is in America yet I kept their original names so as not to cause any confusion. I don't own Samurai Champloo but if I did, it would have gone on forever! This is my first SC fic. This is the prologue, the other chapters will be much longer. 


	2. Chapter 1: The Reunion of Fuu and Mugen

Disclaimer: I don't own S.C. in any way! Mr. Thomas andJanetare mine, but you can use them if you want...

Fuu sat in class and was beating on her book with a pencil chewed at the end. She stared at the clock and wondered how a man boring like Mr. Thomas could ever be given the job of biology teacher. It was hard enough to pay attention to cell division, but his monotonous voice drifted through out the room in such away that you had to struggle to stay awake and listen, so Fuu picked up the habit of drumming her pencil, annoying as it was, but useful to keep her awake. She glanced around the room, 10 asleep, a new record, 5 art students doodling, 4 students day dreaming, 2 of those drooling on their desks, 3 sharing a bag of Doritos, 2 girls brushing their hair and adjusting make-up, and 1 boy examining the gum on the bottom of his shoes, comparing the amount and color of gum from one shoe to the other. She sighed and continued to strum, this habit caused many people to move their seats within the week of being assigned next to her. It suited her fine, she liked having an extra chair to set her bag on, easier to throw her beat up biology book in and scramble out of the door to lunch, her favorite time of the day. She looked up the clock and watched the secondhand move clockwise over the white face.

The door opened and a boy walked in, causing 3 of the sleeping people to wake, distracting the art students from the doodles, snapping the day dreamers from their day dreaming and wipe the drool from their desks, stopping the Doritos from being further devoured, and 30 fingers starting being licked clean of processed Nacho Cheese. However, the girls with their hair and make-up continued applying their fifth layer of foundation, and the boy examining his gum decided his shoes with gum were more interesting than anything else. But this boy that caused Fuu to stop strumming and a tiny voice in her mind told her that he was familiar to her, somewhere.

"Welcome to senior Biology, Mugen." Said Mr. Thomas reading the pink copy of Mugen's schedule. "Take a book." Mr. Thomas pointed to a shelf and Mugen walked over the shelf in a lazy manner that Fuu immediately despised.

"Where do you want me to sit?" He asked lazily. Mr. Thomas pulled out his seating chart that served as his role sheet. Fuu looked around and counted three other people without partners, she prayed that this misfit would not be placed by her.

"Over there, third row." Fuu sighed loudly, she was the only person without a lab partner in the third row, and glared at the blackboard. Mugen took a seat next to Fuu and leaned back in his chair. She began strumming furiously. After five seconds of very loud strumming, Mugen tore the pencil from Fuu and threw it across the room. Fuu, without turning and looking at Mugen, pulled out another pencil and began strumming louder than before. Mugen, again, after five seconds, launched that pencil into orbit. Fuu kept pulling out pencils, refusing to look at Mugen and also getting up and retrieving the abandoned pencils. Once the bell ran for dismissal to lunch, Fuu did not walk near the pencils, she did not look at Mugen, and claimed war against him.

This silent war between them continued for the next four days, it wasn't until lunch on Thursday that she felt foolish about it. After saying a quick prayer before digging into a peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich, her friend leaned in and whispered,

"Look, the new kid has sat by himself all week. They say he's an ex-con. I don't blame people not wanting to be his friend." She looked across the cafeteria and saw Mugen sitting alone, eating his lunch. Fuu felt guilt twist in her stomach that made her almost lose her appetite, almost. She had been harsh to this new boy, ex-con or not, and if her mother was alive, she would scold Fuu for her behavior. She collected her lunch back in the brown bag she used and took a seat in the empty chair next to him. Mugen glanced over at her.

"Ah, Pencil-girl, you gonna strum some more?" He asked popping a spoon of chocolate pudding in his mouth. Fuu glared for one second but it soon faded into a bright smile, making Mugen blink while the spoon hung from his mouth.

"Hey!" She greeted kindly. "My name's Fuu."

"I know." She blinked at him. "I saw it on your quiz."

"So." She said after a quick silence but after she spoke, there was another long silence until Mugen finished his lunch.

"Well, pencil girl, I don't need your sympathy. Later." He threw his trash away and headed down the hall to his next class, hands rested behind his head. Fuu sighed, finished the rest of her food quickly and headed to class. In the hall, she overheard Mr. Thomas talking to some other teachers.

"Yeah, suddenly, with that Mugen's enrollment, I've been finding pencils all over my room, everyday. He's failing my class right now, and as of what I've heard from Janet (a counselor of some sort), if he doesn't pass, he won't get his diploma."

"Does he know that?"

"I don't think he cares." Fuu frowned internally and a distant look overcame her face that stayed with her for the rest of the day.

When the final bell rang, she found her circle of friends, girls around the same age with the same interests and dressed moderately alike. Although she thought the friendships were fair weather, she still enjoyed talking to them about important decisions in her life that weren't important at all. For example, if she should buy a totally hip skirt at the mall or spend it on a new CD. No matter how close she got with the girls, sometimes she found it hard to reveal to them her own real life, the fact that she was completely alone in the world except for a deadbeat dad somewhere. She had no plans for the future, college seemed out of the question for now, and she barely had enough money to cover rent. What little money she had left, she used on food, clothes, and a meager savings account. They chattered about nothing for a long time, what so-and-so said to what's-his-name about the newest couple at school. She leaned against the wall and said nothing to them. The doors of the school burst open and Mugen walked by, his head turning toward her and looking right at her as he walked by. For a second, she felt that he was looking into her soul but she didn't turn away from him. He gave her a lopsided grin and continued walking. Fuu pushed herself off the wall and followed him.

"Mugen!" She called out to him but he didn't stop. She hurried quickly behind him but the load in her arms was bouncing dangerously in her arms. She tripped over a crooked sidewalk and her books fell all around her. Mugen stopped his arrogant strut to turn around and smirk at the girl.

"What do you want Pencil-girl?" He asked smugly.

"Um." She gathered her books quickly. "Do you have a car?" She asked quietly.

"Why do you want to know?"

"I missed my bus and I need a ride."

"Why don't you ask one of your girly friends?"

"Because they don't have cars!" She cried. Her face and her voice softened. "And I don't want them to see where I live." Mugen's expression turned into one that looked very confused.

"And you're ok with me seeing where you live?" He asked.

"I figured you wouldn't judge me, they say you've been to prison before." He smirked and ran a cool hand through his hair.

"Fine." He started walking. Her face brightened and she followed closely behind him. They stopped at a very bright red, sporty car. He pulled out his keys and she stared at the car in awe.

"You drive this?" She asked him. The car backed up and drove off, revealing an old, beaten up, rickety Cadillac.

"She's a beaut." He smiled and unlocked the door for her. She sat in the passenger seat, afraid that the springs in the seat would burst through the vinyl and she then would need tetanus shot.

"So where do you live?" He asked, climbing behind the steering wheel.

"The Garden Estates." She replied.

"Fancy."

"The one on 49th and Jacob Street." He said nothing but popped in something on the 8-track. "Wow, I've never seen one of these before!" Fuu exclaimed. Mugen shrugged and continued driving. Fuu leaned back in the seat and stared out of the passenger window, clutching her books tightly. Mugen pulled out a cigarette, using the lighter from the car, he calmly lit his cigarette and drove in silence.

He came to a slow stop in front of the Garden Estates, four dilapidated buildings that hadn't been painted since before Fuu was born. The inside of the buildings were no better, the appliances were old and sometimes the electricity would go out for hours at a time.

"I didn't go to prison." He spoke breaking the silence. "I came close." Fuu nodded her head, taking this as her cue to leave. Shebreathed a soft thank you before climbing out of the Cadillac. She stood at the corner and watched him drive off. The image of him with his cigarette dangling from his mouth as he stared at her with his eyes would not leave her head. His stray dog eyes as Fuu called them.

Mugen turned down the street to his own residence, a place no better than the Garden Estates. It surprised him that a girl who seemed put together, who seemed to have a middle class family, lived in such a crummy place. But he was used to crummy places, the week that his parents decided to move to the city, his father was thrown in jail for possession of an illegal substance and his mother put a bullet in her head. Mugen, afraid of orphanages or foster care, took the streets, living a life that left him calloused everywhere, including his heart. He opened the door to his apartment, it looked just like it did the day he moved in, only a small bag of clothes, and his personal effects. He went to sit on the floor and felt a flood of anger at everyone. He hated his dad for moving them away. He hated his mother for being so weak. He hated people because they didn't care. He hated Pencil-girl for caring. He came back to what he called his hometown but he was gone too long for it to be home anymore. They forgot about him even when he was right in front of them, that's what he hated most, being forgotten. He had nothing to punch but the wall and for now, that suited him fine.

* * *

"Mugen!" A woman looked at the four year old in the back seat through her rear-view mirror. "Are you excited to spend the day with your friends?" Mugen cocked a crooked smile at his mother, already a very proud smile for a pre-school kid.

"Fuu-chan and I are getting married." The woman chuckled. "I'm gonna give her this!" He thrusted out a beautiful red flower he picked from their garden before they left. The woman stopped the car in the driveway. She helped Mugen out of the car and he ran out to Fuu, already waiting on the back porch for them. He offered her the flower and she gasped in delight. She took the flower into her pudgy fingers. She stared at it in awe and giggled.

"What do you say Fuu?" Asked her mother.

"Danks Mu-Mu!" She cried, she held his two cheeks in her hands and gave him a kiss, missing his lips and hitting him on the nose.

"Yuck!" Mugen made a face but was still smiling. The two women laughed at their behavior. Jin's car pulled in shortly and Jin bounded out of the car, carrying a brand new teddy bear. Fuu shrieked as she saw the teddy bear. Her body shook in anticipation to hold this new furry toy, she dropped the flower and ran up to the teddy bear. She wrapped her short toddler arms around it and squeezed it tightly, letting out a delighted shriek. Mugen frowned at the forgotten red flower. He picked it up and crammed it into his pocket, following Fuu. He gave Jin a cold look and scrunched his nose at the toy.

"That teddy bear is ugly." He told Jin. Jin glared at Mugen.

"You're ugly." He replied calmly. It took all three mothers to separate the two from the fight that took place shortly after Jin's reply. They sat in time-out for the rest of the afternoon but it didn't stop them from making faces at each other every few seconds when the women weren't looking. Fuu, who ran off with the teddy bear and missed the fight, decided that a tea party with her new friend and her other dolls and furry toys would have to replace the rowdy boys.

* * *

**A/N:** Another chapter! Yay! V. inspired right now, who knows how long my muse will stay with me but I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This fic is about reincarnation, I'll try to keep the trio in character but sometimes, you just can't help it. I'm looking into re-formatting the prologue but right now I'm typing as fast as ideas pop into my head. Next chapter should be the introduction of Jin.

Tsunamimbw: I didn't want to leave it in a big clump but I've been itchin' to post it. But I promise to re-format it, scouts honor! Thank you for the review!

Animemuffin: Thank you! I hope you like chapter 1!


	3. Chapter 2: Jin Arrives

Disclaimer: I don't own S.C. in any way! David Weakes is mine, but you can use him if you're into that kind of stuff...

* * *

Fuu covered her mouth as she let out a big yawn. She rolled over on her blow-up mattress to look at the alarm clock that beeped loudly at her. It read four. She shook her head, got up from bed to stretch out the sleep in her body, and did her daily routine for school, heading out of the door at five. She looked up at the sky, dawn was beginning to lighten the sky but the sun still didn't feel like coming up yet. She stifled another yawn and walked to the city bus stop three blocks away. She sat at the stop and finished some homework. After she wrapped up a few calculus problems, the bus's brakes let out a satisfied sigh as the bus came to a halt. Fuu gathered her things. 

"Hello Fuu!" He smiled warmly at her. She smiled back and took a seat, falling back to sleep for the bus ride to the next stop, where she had to walk another few blocks to get to the school bus. As she walked in the warm morning sun, she stared up at the sky and fell into her thoughts.

"He's alive." She told her.

"Who's alive?" Fuu asked. "What? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" But she was weak and with a frown, she gave into her sickness, leaving Fuu completely alone and confused. The school bus came to a screeching halt and Fuu climbed on it quietly. She took her seat at the back and stared out of the window, the only thing she did on her way to school.

She rested her head on the cool glass of the window and sighed heavily. She looked out of the window and saw a kid sticking his tongue out at her in the backseat of a minivan. She smiled and started making faces back at the kid by crossing her eyes and sticking her tongue back at the kid. She uncrossed her eyes and realized that the kid and the minivan pulled away, instead, a handsome looking boy was blinking at her. Fuu bit her lip and quickly threw herself on her seat, out of his view. Her face felt like it was on fire. She waited a few minutes and made sure the coast was clear before she sat upright in her seat. She sighed and slumped.

"I'm such an idiot!" She smacked her head. She clenched her fist and prayed that she would never meet that boy again.

* * *

The bus pulled to a quick halt in front of the school. Fuu collected her things and followed the slow beeline exiting the door. As she approached the steep bus steps, a fellow classmate yelled at her from the back of the bus. 

"Wait! Fuu! You dropped this!" He held up a notebook. Turning her head to make sure the notebook was hers, she completely forgot about the steps, missed the step, and proceeded to fall down the stairs. Luckily, the force at which she had fallen was stopped by helpless passerby. She looked up at the person that saved her from eating the pavement and also to apologize for abruptly. Once she recognized the face, her cheeks felt like they were on fire for the second time that morning.

"I'm sorry." She squeaked at the boy. He was the same boy that she had accidentally made faces at earlier. He looked down at her, startled by her for a moment. He regained his placid composure and picked up the bag she had droppedfrom her fall. Fuu smiled nervously as she also straightened out her clothes. He held the bag out and she took it from his grasp.

"Thank you." She looked away from his piercing gaze behind thin glasses. His lips tightened then he walked off like none of this happened. Fuu stood there, watching his retreating figure, a little hurt and a little sad. She threw the bag angrily over her shoulder and walked off. Once she entered the school, she leaned against the wall and thought about the handsome boy. Who was he? Where did he come from? She began pondering all the possibilities, like he was a quiet poet that was secretly writing her love ballads and could not bear to let her know his secret. She sighed hopefully and headed to her first class to start her day.

* * *

By the time Biology rolled around, she found out that her poet of love had a name and it was Jin. She sat the whole time in Biology doodling on a paper. She was writing **Fuu + Jin** in hearts in all sort of different ways, to help her decide which one looked best. 

"Who's Jin?" Mugen asked, raising an eyebrow. Fuu glared angrily at him and tucked the paper away from his view.

"None of your business!"

"Oooooh, sounds like a big crush!" Mugen teased.

"You really are just insensitive, aren't you?" She crossed her arms and scooted her chair to the far end of the lab table.

* * *

Once lunch began, she sat with her friends, eating quietly while they chattered. She searched the cafeteria for the love poet but gave up to eat from a cup of pudding. She really enjoyed the invention of the pudding cup, especially the Jell-O Sundae cup which really didn't taste like a sundae to her. She quickly shoveled in the top layer and started the layer of vanilla when her friend nudged her gently. Unfortunately when she nudged Fuu was when Fuu had the spoon hovering before her mouth causing the spoon to fly away from her mouth and lodged the pudding all over her cheek. Fuu turned to her friend about to scolded her when she caught sight of Jin walking by. Her mouth, instead of releasing harsh words, hung open. This time, Mugen was nearby. He leaned over with a mischievous grin. 

"Oi! Isn't that your boyfriend?" He asked her. Fuu's cheeks turned red. Jin stopped walking and looked between Mugen and Fuu.

"N-n-nono." Fuu stammered.

"Well didn't you write this?" He pulled out the paper that had **Fuu + Jin** written all over it.

"Mugen! Where did you get that!" She shrieked and tore it from his fingers. Jin raised an eyebrow at her. She turned to Jin and chuckled.

"Heheheh. It's just a joke Mugen was playing, see." She laughed nervously. Jin nodded.

"You've got something on your face." He said before walking away. Once Jin was out of earshot, Fuu picked up the nearest book, the huge biology book, and began pounding Mugen with it.

"You (fwap) are (fwap) such (fwap) a (fwap) JERK!" She threw the book at his head which made a nice thump noise that seemed to satisfy Fuu for now. She threw the rest of her lunch in the bag and stomped off while everyone watched.

* * *

Fuu leaned against the wall, waiting for her ride to work. She thought about her horrible day and how she completely bombed it with Jin. She sighed miserably as she heard the giggling of girls broke her from her misery. 

"I got a big car, I mean, a REAL big car if you know what I mean." It was Mugen, laying it on thick with two freshmen girls that did not really know what he meant but giggled anyway.

"Oh Mugen, there you are, I guess this means that your herpes out break cleared up?" Fuu asked sweetly. The girls looked at Mugen like he was infected with the plague and hurried off.

"You," He pointed his finger angrily at her "are cruel!"

"Me? Cruel? You are the cruel one!" Fuu spat out. "You humiliated me in front of Jin!"

"It's not like you had a shot with him, you aren't even that cute!" Mugen yelled back. "Who would want to date you? Someone blind and deaf wouldn't want you!"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah?"

"Really?"

"Yeah?" They were inches apart, both faces tomato red with anger.

"Excuse me." They turned to see Jin. "Fuu?" Fuu backed away from Mugen and gave Mugen a sharp look before smiling at Jin.

"Yes."

"I have this for you." He handed Fuu a letter. Fuu graciously accepted it and clenched it tightly in her hands and smiled hopefully at him, her love poet to the rescue!

"Thank you." She said slowly trying to make her point to Mugen.

"You're welcome?" Jin's eyebrow raised slightly again and he walked away. Fuu quickly unfolded the love note to read it, Mugen looking over her shoulder. Just as she thought, it was filled with love poems dedicated to her.

"Look, not just a love letter, love poems." She turned and grinned smartly at Mugen.

"Yeah, from David." Fuu's eyes dropped to thebottom to see if Mugen was right, unfortunately he was right. David Weakes was a scrawny, runt of a nerd that even the nerd clique thought he was below them. "There's lover boy. Apparently, I was right about the blind part." David adjusted his glasses and waved excitedly at Fuu. Fuu's mouth dropped open. She turned to Mugen and threw the note at him.

"I hate you." She hissed and stormed off, walking right by Jin that blinked at her then Mugen.

"Is she always like that?" Jin asked Mugen. Mugen smiled while watching her storm off.

"Always. She's a pain in my ass." Mugen looked at who he was talking to and glared at Jin. "And so are you." He walked off in the opposite direction, leaving a confused Jin.

"This has been a really weird day." He noted.

"Tell me about it." Said David who was stuffed in a garbage can nearby.

* * *

Jin did everything he was told, everything. He ate his spinach, he cleaned up his toys, and he even scrubbed behind his ears like his mother would tell him. As a child, his obedience and his reticent behavior came to be a relief for his young parents. Everyone who met him told his parents that they were lucky to have a child like Jin. But his parents did not feel lucky to have Jin. Sure, they were happy about having Jin but sometimes his perfect behavior was a little too perfect. Somehow, next to Jin, they felt that they were not good enough, that their flaws would pass onto their perfect son. So when they met Mugen they took a naturally liking to his brash behavior that once it mixed with Jin's, it seemed to ignite something in Jin. Jin hated Mugen from the moment he met him. Mugen had so many flaws and got him into so much trouble that he was afraid he wouldn't be perfect and he was afraid that his parents would not love him anymore.  
That's why he never understood Fuu, she loved Mugen and him. Perhaps at times, she loved Mugen more and he was so imperfect. His parents would tell Fuu's mother all the trouble he is and yet Fuu would hold his hand and always wanted to sit next to him. But when Mugen would hurt her or make her cry, she would always run to Jin and that was what he was grateful for.

* * *

**A/N:** Another chapter! I was in Hawaii for awhile and couldn't write, I wanted to update before I left but had squeezed the last bit of creative energy out for ch. 1. Well, I hoped you guys enjoy this chapter, it's really embarassing what Fuu went through, reminds me of my own HS days, it's where I tapped into my own humiliation as a teen. I just want to remind you guys that this is an AU so they might be a little OOC at times. I know right now it seems very Fuu x Jin but I'm not revealing what the pairings are...yet. 

Rin the Maverick: I'm glad this one changed your mind! Thank you for your kind review.

Detective Allie: Thank you! Here's your update!

peeps: I'm really glad to hear that. Thanks. (Oh and thanks for bribing me with cookies but my real weakness is brownies!)

Alaskantiger:Again, sorry this update took so long. I hope to pop out more chapters quicker. Thanks for your review.

youigy hunter: I tapped into my own childhood of fights with my brother. I'm glad you enjoyed that. I'm not revealing the pairings quite yet.

Neko-Yuff16: Thanks for the review, I did feel bad for his abandoned gift but I also don't want to reveal too much.

Shomei-chan: Thank you, I knew that soon a hugh load of S.C. high school fics were bound to happen so I decided to get my toe in while thetrend is hot.

yolanda: Thank you for your review. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

nania: I tried to introduce him a little differently than Mugen and perhaps with more humor.

amylovestakuya: I'm not going to reveal the pairings but I love Fuu x Mugen as much as Fuu x Jin, it's hard for me to even chose.

PegasusRider: I was aiming for typical American HS and I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. Thank you for the review.

christine: Don't worry, this story will go on for a lot more chapters.

kinokokichigai: Sorry that as fast as you can took a while. But here it is and thank you for the review!

Kill-all-flamers: Thank you, I think that since this series is still sort of new, it hasn't grabbed the attention of many people or they haven't had inspiration to write one yet. Maybe you should write one...I'm glad you like it, thanks for the kind review!

faux nostalgia: I'm not revealing the pairings but keep them crossed, who knows who she chooses.


	4. Chapter 3: Summer Symphony

Disclaimer: I don't own S.C. in any way!

**A/N:** Yes, I usually keep them at the end of the chapter but I must warn you that this chapterhas some language and violence.

* * *

_Mugen and Jin were kneeling both with a few scrapes and cuts. They were surrounded by about ten thugs with thick greasy hair and pit stains on their dirty wife-beaters.  
_

_ "Any last words?" The smelliest goon asked as Mugen as he pressed the gun firmly in his thick hair.  
_

_ "You're an asshole?" Mugen offered with a grin. The man struck Mugen with the butt of the gun, Mugen spit out the blood in his mouth and glared up at him.  
_

_ "I think it's best we stay quiet." Jin warned Mugen.  
_

_ "Do you have any other ideas?" Mugen asked Jin.  
_

_"I take the right, you take the left." Jin replied softly. Mugen looked around and his face twisted into a grin.  
_

_ "I can live with that." Mugen agreed._

**One Day Earlier**

Fuu wiped the sweat off her forehead. It was the first day of summer and it would seem that the summer would be a terribly hot one. She tightened her pony tail and went to table three to take the order. It was a group of new graduates, she assumed, having a late morning brunch after receiving their diplomas.

"Finally school's out!" One boy cried and the others high-fived him. Fuu refilled their coffee. She had the habit of looking out of the diner window while filling drinks, to see if something interesting was happening in their small parking lot on the corner of Central and 36th. Her mouth dropped as she spotted Mugen, walking right into this diner, her diner.

"Watch out bitch!" One yelled. She looked down and realized that she spilt coffee all over the table.

"Oh, sorry!" She blushed and began to wipe away the scalding liquid with napkins, burning her fingers at the same time. She bit her lip in pain but still wiped away as fast as she could.

"You will be, whore!" One grabbed her by the neck and pushed her down on the table. She closed her eyes in pain.

"Leave her alone!" Joe, the sixty-year-old owner of the diner yelled at the kids.

"Shut the hell up, you old geezer!" One of the kids pulled out a gun and pointed it at Joe. Fuu squirmed underneath his grip, the bitter scent of the coffee burning harshly into her cheek.

"What should we take off? Finger? Thumb? The whole hand?" The punk with the earring asked, pulling out the dull butter knife from his silverware set.

"Mugen?" Fuu called out to him, praying that he was in the diner.

"You got yourself into this mess Pencil-girl." Mugen said as he looked over the menu from a nearby booth.

"Mugen, please." She begged in a shaky voice as the knife inched closer to her wrist. Mugen folded the menu and shook his head.

"You're lucky begging makes me sick." He said as he slid out of the booth and got his feet.

"Sit back down, asswipe!" One barked at him. Mugen's face contorted into a vicious grin.

"Love the insults, fucker!" He cried, laying a hard punch in his face. He picked up the gun and shot the punk in the arm that was holding Fuu's face down. She gasped as it rained blood on her face and neck. The punk staggered back and screamed in pain. The other guys pulled their guns and pointed it at Mugen. Fuu took this opportunity to shuffle back to the kitchen and watch safely from the window.

"Well now, I don't think that's very fair." Mugen scanned the room. Fuu watched the scene but Joe insisted that she wipe the blood from her face. Fuu waved him off and stopped breathing when someone else walked into the diner.

"Jin?" She asked softly. Jin was holding a gun as well, pointing it at Mugen.

"You." Mugen said in disgust.

"You." Jin said in mutual disgust.

"So you're with them, I guess I should just shoot you. But then I would get shot by all three of these punks, hardly fair, is it?" Jin didn't answer. "Fine, how about we take this fight outside, no guns, just you and me."

"What are we in, the middle ages?" Joe muttered but Fuu waved him off again.

"Shhh, I can't hear." She bit at her bottom lip. Jin nodded slowly and they both placed their guns on the ground. Mugen followed Jin outside. Mugen cracked his knuckles and his neck.

"You ready?" Mugen asked him.

"Yes." Replied Jin as they both ran toward each other.

_"Hey! Wait a minute!" Fuu cried as the scene pauses. "You can't just skip over a month! I mean everyone will want to know what happened during that month at school."  
_

_ "Nobody cares." Mugen replies.  
_

_ "Yes, somebody does care! I mean a lot of important things happened."  
_

_ "Nothing that really contributes to the plot." Jin cut in.  
_

_ "So you're on his side?" She cocked a thumb at Mugen. "I can't believe this! I thought you hated him!"  
_

_ "I do hate him, nothing important really happened in that month. We didn't even walk at graduation."  
_

_ "I'm sure something important happened."  
_

_ "Like this?" Mugen rewinds and pauses at various embarrassing scenes of Fuu blowing up the biology lab, blowing up the toilet, tripping, falling down the stairs, and lastly blowing up a Drivers Ed car. Fuu chuckled nervously.  
_

_ "I guess you have a point."_

"You ready?" Mugen asked him.

"Yes." Replied Jin as they both ran toward each other. Mugen tackled Jin to the ground and swung his fist at him but Jin dodged it skillfully. Jin head butted Mugen in the nose, Mugen fell back and stood up. He wiped the blood from his nose using the back of his hand. He looked down at the blood.

"You had enough?" Jin asked. Mugen grinned savagely at Jin.

"No." Mugen unleashed a fury of kicks and punches, all which Jin dodged. He, however, lost his footing on a loose rock on the ground and when he tried to regain his balance, Mugen's kick connected with his abdomen. Jin staggered back.

"Lucky shot." Jin said but Mugen's grin grew wider. They came at each other but stopped dead in their tracks when they heard the familiar click of guns. Mugen and Jin looked up as the thugs had them surrounded. Fuu opened the door to the diner to stop them but Joe caught her waist and pulled her back. She landed on the ground and she looked up at Joe.

"Fuu, you mustn't!" He said sharply.

"But they're going to kill them!" She cried.

"They will kill you." His voice was hard and Fuu looked as if she was slapped in the face. Joe's expression softened. "Fuu." He said but looked out of the door when he heard the squeal of tires. A van came to a screeching halt in the parking lot. The door opened and Mugen was pushed inside.

"Hey, that wasn't very nice!" Mugen yelled from inside the van as Jin was pushed inside. The thugs climbed into the van and it peeled out of the lot. Fuu watched the van drive off and she turned to Joe.

"I have to save them." Joe turned to Fuu and frowned.

"I've seen those guys before. They work for a very wicked man, they probably took them to a warehouse near the docks." Fuu nodded slowly.

"Do you know which one?" She asked.

"No." Joe shook his head. "That's everything I know about them. Fuu nodded again and headed out of the diner. Joe caught her shoulder with his hand.

"Fuu, be careful." She nodded seriously and smiled brightly.

"Don't worry about me!" Her voice sounded so bright and cheerful as she ran off.

* * *

When Mugen came to, he saw that he was no longer in the van but in a hot, dark room. He rolled over and his eyes tried to adjust to the darkness. 

"Mugen." Came a soft whisper. He recognized the voice of Fuu. "Jin."

"Am I in hell?" Mugen asked.

"Apparently." Jin replied nearby. Mugen looked around the dark to see Jin or Fuu but gave up.

"Shh!" She hissed sharply. "I'm here to get you two out of here, on one condition."

"What's that?" Mugen asked impatiently.

"You help me find someone." Fuu replied.

"Get us out of here, then." Jin said. Mugen and Jin listened to the soft clink of metal against metal.

"Someone's over there!" Yelled a scout.

"Shit!" Fuu cried and they listened to her footsteps as she ran off.

"What the hell was the point of that?" Mugen asked Jin.

"I don't know." Jin replied.

"Finally! They're awake!" Someone yelled and bright halogen lights illuminated the whole warehouse, blinding both captives. Mugen  
felt two pairs of hands grab him and tie him up. "Let the fun begin!"

* * *

Fuu cursed under her breath as she found a place to hide and come up with a plan. 

"I saw him go this way!" She heard and she ducked behind a crate. She held her breath and closed her eyes as she heard their footsteps come closer. They stopped and looked around.

"I guess he took off." They walked away and Fuu let out her breath. She got out from the crate and looked around. An abandoned car sat underneath a streetlight.

"It can't be that simple." Fuu muttered under her breath. She walked up to the car and tried to open the door but it was locked. She looked around the ground for keys but saw a brick. She picked up the brick and with all her might, she threw it at the back seat window directly behind the driver's seat, successfully breaking it. She carefully got into the driver's seat and looked at the steering wheel. She searched the car for a set of keys.

"It's times like these I wish I knew how to hot-wire a car." She angrily pounded her fist on the dashboard causing the ashtray to open and the sound of metal jingling caught Fuu's ear. She smiled as the keys gleamed up at her.

* * *

Mugen and Jin were kneeling both with a few scrapes and cuts. They were surrounded by about ten thugs with thick greasy hair and pit stains on their dirty wife-beaters. 

"Any last words?" The smelliest goon asked as Mugen as he pressed the gun firmly in his thick hair.

"You're an asshole?" Mugen offered with a grin. The man struck Mugen with the butt of the gun, Mugen spit out the blood in his mouth and glared up at him.

"I think it's best we stay quiet." Jin warned Mugen.

"Do you have any other ideas?" Mugen asked Jin.

"I take the right, you take the left." Jin replied softly. Mugen looked around and his face twisted into a grin.

"I can live with that." Mugen agreed. They jumped up from the ground and tackled the men holding the guns to the floor. They got up and began running for cover from the onslaught of bullets. They jumped behind a large crate and tried to calculate a way out. Luckily for them, a car crashed into the wall nearby.

"Get in!" Fuu cried. Mugen and Jin ran over to the car and hopped in. Fuu immediately drove off. She swerved uncontrollably through the streets.

"Keep it steady!" Mugen yelled from the back seat.

"I can't!" She cried. "I don't know how to drive!" She slammed on the brakes causing both Mugen and Jin to slam forwards into the seat.

"Untie me, idiot!" Mugen barked. Fuu nodded and bent over the center console and untied Mugen quickly. He hopped into the passenger seat and Fuu blinked at him. "Move!" He grabbed her waist and threw her over the seat. Jin groaned in pain as Fuu used him as a landing pad. Mugen skillfully drove away, weaving through streets.

"Sorry Jin." She climbed off Jin and untied him. "Go to my place, Mugen." Fuu said from the back seat. Mugen nodded and drove off to the Garden Estates.

Once they arrived, Fuu gave Mugen and Jin rubbing alcohol for their wounds while she pulled out two small bags and a duffel bag.

"What's that?" Mugen asked.

"Your stuff." She replied.

"Why do you have his stuff?" Jin asked.

"I have your stuff, too." She ran her fingers through her hair.

"What's the meaning of this?" Mugen asked.

"You promised to help me find someone."

"How do you know where we live?" Jin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Mugen told me where he lived." Jin looked at Mugen and Mugen rolled his eyes.

"What about him?" Mugen pointed at Jin.

"Oh." Fuu blushed. "I followed him home one day." She said softly and Jin's eyes bulged. Mugen coughed trying to cover up a chuckle. "Anyway, you two promised me."

Mugen and Jin looked at each other then at Fuu.

"There's no way I'll travel with this juvenile."

"I'm not going anywhere with pretty boy." They spoke at the same time. Fuu sighed.

"But you two promised!" She whined.

"How about we fight and whoever loses, goes?" Mugen suggested.

"No!" Fuu yelled. "Both of you are going, that's the end of that! Now load up!" She picked up the bags and threw them at them.

"And what happens if we don't?" Mugen asked.

"I'll make sure that the rest of your life is hell!" Fuu responded.

"How?" Jin said but did not get a response because the apartment was soon fired upon by the warehouse thugs. They ducked and dove into the kitchen.

"Won't they ever give up!" Mugen cried.

"There's a fire escape, follow me." Fuu ran to the other room and jumped through the opened with Mugen and Jin on her tail. They climbed down the fire escape and ran down the alley to a beat-up car. They opened the door and jumped in, Mugen in the driver's seat, Jin in the passenger, and Fuu in the back. Fuu looked out of the back window and saw the thugs climbing down the fire escape.

"Hurry Mugen!" She cried. Mugen removed the panel below the steering wheel and expertly hot-wired the car. "Mugen!" She yelled as they were approaching them.

"Shut-up!" Mugen yelled back. He relaxed as he heard the thunderous roar of the car.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, this chapter took FOREVER to write. Not really. But it's pretty long so I changed the formatting so the page wouldn't be like a million lines long. I changed the prologue to be a bit easier on the eyes by adding spaces. I left out a cute flashback at the end of this chapter because it was so long (my fingers are cramping). Anyway, I'm not sure when the next update will be, this weekend I'll be celebrating Independence Day at the beach even though there's red tide, yummy. This chapter is like the first episode but different. I thought it was a great way for them to start their road trip! Yay for road trips! 

The Honest Reader: I totally envisioned her that way if she went to a standard, public high school. Sorry that the high school part is over, this mainly is about their road trip. However, thank you for the review!

Kill-all-flamers: Don't worry, I based David from a boy from my school...maybe there's a million David's in the world that match that description...hmmm...Thank you againfor your review and for the fact that you're David's friend.

me2200: Yeah, the chapters are a little on the skimpy side, I'm a real sloth at times. But this one is longer and I hope you enjoy it.

One-Mean-Rabbit: Thank you for your very kind words. It's always great to hear compliments about your writing. Thank you very much for your review.

Alaskantiger: Here's some more for you to read. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Dead Red Head: There's no official pairings yet but Fuu def. has a crush on Jin right now. Thank you for the review.

Jin'sGirl6: Thanks for the review and I'm glad to know that I kept them in character. That's my biggest fear that someone will read and be like "WTF? That's not like them at all!" Again, thanks!

Scarlet Amaranth: No official pairings but a threesome does sound interesting. Lucky Fuu. Anyway, thank you for reviewing!

peeps: YUM! Sorry that there are no flashbacks for you in this chapter but look out for a v. cute interlude soon.

poornmiserable: Yeah, they played as kids but now they forgot. I hope you enjoy this update and thanks for reviewing!

Key The Theif: Thanks! I hope you like this chapter as well!


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